Recent research has added an exciting
twist to what we know about children’s brain development:
though the first four years have long been touted as the
time for making important brain connections, we now
understand that this type of development continues on
through adolescence. For this reason, the experiences and
information children are exposed to, particularly during
the elementary years, need to be as stimulating and
meaningful as possible.
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The arts are wonderful for providing
such stimulation. When children whisk a marker back and
forth across a big sheet of blank paper, push and pound a
lump of clay or cut with scissors, their brains are
growing. Every time they move to a rousing Sousa march,
dance or act out a scene from a favorite book with friends
or listen to a favorite piece of music, their senses send
signals to the brain about how things work, how to work
together and what feels good.
Creative people invent, imagine,
problem-solve and communicate in unique ways. These are
skills that help us make new friends, learn about topics
that interest us and become successful adults.
The arts also nurture the types of
skills needed in today’s workforce. Virtually all
businesses and professions, from nursing and science to
management and sales, require the ability to "think
outside of the box."
And it all begins in the early years.
When children share art supplies and dress-up clothes for
pretend play, design and paint a mural or play in a school
band, they are learning to work as part of a team toward a
common goal.
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What the arts look like during
the elementary years
Dance, music, theater and the visual
arts all play a very important part in the elementary
classroom curriculum. Here is a look at how the arts may
be woven into your children’s school day:
Kindergarten
The focus of the arts curriculum in the
early elementary years is on enjoyment and
self-expression. In the average kindergarten classroom you
are likely to find children singing, dancing or playing
rhythm instruments or listening to a variety of music.
Children use puppets, play dress-up, put on plays and may
watch performances by other classes or professional
artists. They have lots of opportunities to experiment
with art materials like paints, crayons, pencils, markers
and clay. Children will also be learning the foundations
of language and reading as they create poems, songs,
stories and plays that may be written down, collected into
classroom books or performed.
First and second grade
During first and second grade, the arts
continue to be used to help children develop their
self-confidence and strengthen
communication skills, as well as for pleasure. During
these years, children’s drawings and paintings will likely
become more detailed and colorful as they gain better
control of art tools and their hand-eye coordination
improves.
As the curriculum becomes more
formalized, opportunities for artistic expression will be
woven into units of study, with children making up songs,
creating colorful collages or designing their own
instruments. In-school performances and field trips to
museums, art exhibitions or musical and dance performances
will likely be built into the school year to provide
exposure to a variety of artists and performers.
Third through sixth grade
In the upper elementary grades, the arts
remain important for strengthening children’s confidence
and communication skills. This is the time when choral
singing and instruments are traditionally introduced. At
this point, the arts are fully integrated into the
curriculum. For example, children may read biographies of
musicians, dancers and painters as part of their language
arts work. They may compare traditional folk and
contemporary songs as part of their American history
studies. Or they may stage a play as a culmination of
their elementary experience.
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